Deepika Shrestha Ross (Momo America) in conversation with Professor B. Ruby Rich - Part of the University of California Santa Cruz Social Documentation MFA Thesis Screening 2020.

Please note: Creative License has been taken! While these questions did come from Ruby, my responses have been augmented to include what I “would” have and “should” have said if I had been better rested and thinking more clearly :-)

B. Ruby Rich: Why is this film, this look at the Nepali American community, the one that you wanted to make?

As I move into filmmaking, it seemed important for me to spotlight the community that has had such a huge influence on me, but is largely invisible in the American narrative…and that I also put myself in the picture as a way of examining my own positionality – as an immigrant, who came to the US as a child when that was very uncommon. Some of what I bring up in the film, I’ve never communicated with anyone in my family…so it took me a while to strike a balance between being honest and also putting my experiences in context with the bigger picture of immigration from Nepal to the US.

So the film is a weaving together of my personal story with the larger story of Nepali Americans, which I hope will resonate not just within the Nepali American community, but also with other immigrant communities and all Americans.

B. Ruby Rich: Absolutely. The Nepali American community is obviously your focus. But how did you decide on your approach, and how did you decide who to include?

 Well, I knew intuitively that the Nepali American community has grown and become more diverse – for several reasons, including the changes to US immigration policy. I didn’t want all the participants in the film to be like me. But I had to start somewhere, so I started discussing this issue with my mother, who is well-known in the community, at least among the older immigrants, and has always been active in the Nepali American organizations, which have had an influx of younger leadership. With my mother and close family friends, with who I also communicated about my project, we attended the joint convention of the Association of Nepalis in Southeast United States (NASeA) and Association of Nepalis in Midwest America that was taking place in North Carolina. Once we got there, I renewed my acquaintance with many old family friends and also met some younger Nepali Americans, like Priya, who graciously agreed to take part in my film. I do wish I could have included more people, but perhaps that will come later, as I would like to create an Archive of Nepali American Immigrant Stories, possibly crowdsourcing it to give participants more ownership and access.

B. Ruby Rich: I have to ask about your mother though. She is such a compelling personality. I want to know more about her. She’s a great interlocutor for you.

Yes! My mother loves people and has a lot to say. In many ways, she’s fearless. My father was much more cautious. He made the huge decision to come to the US at a time when so few people from Nepal had, and then he settled into taking things a little more cautiously. But my mother has always been willing to push herself into new territory. And I think people respond to that.

When I was growing up in Bowling Green, Ohio, maybe when I was in high school, there was one Nepali PhD student and his family at the university. Today, there might be thirty-five. And they all congregate at my mother’s house for social events and festival celebrations. She loves being a central figure in this way, and continually meeting new young people and seeing them grow.

One thing I do have to say is that when I was filming, I realized that if I wasn’t careful in my mother would totally steal the show! I have gotten some feedback on the film from people who would really like to hear more from her. So that is definitely something I will follow up with.

 B. Ruby Rich: So, what’s your hope for your film in the world now going forward? What do you want people will take away from it?

One of the reasons I wanted to make this film was to spark more intergenerational dialog within the Nepali American community. I came with a loving family who only wanted the best for me, and still, there were challenges. I don’t want young people to have to face these challenges alone. I think now that the community is larger and more diverse, we know better, We can do better.

Also, one of my hopes for immigrant organizations is that they don’t spend all their time looking backward, only trying to preserve traditions, but also forward, trying to integrate traditions with the reality of life in the United States.

There is so much to engage in and respond to in the world today. So I hope the Nepali American community will be willing to take a seat at the table to tackle the issues of access and opportunity and inequality and justice that are so important in raising the well-being of everyone in the world – in any way they feel that they can.

B. Ruby Rich: Beautiful. I can’t resist. What is this image behind you? It looks like a great party.

It was - this is probably one of the most fun wedding receptions I’ve ever been to!  I had to include it in my film. I loved how they took Nepali traditions and culture and then set it into the world we all inhabit in the United States. The wedding guests here are doing a Bollywood-style dance to “Ole Town Road” by Lil Nas X!

B. Ruby Rich: Well, I love how you transported yourself back into it. I have one last question. What about momos? I know your film talks about this distinctive food. Can you say something about this before we finish?

Ah, momos. Yes. These dumplings migrated to Kathmandu from Tibet. So they have their own “immigration” story. And in Kathmandu, they evolved with new fillings and spices. And people continue to experiment with the fillings and different ways in which to eat them. In Nepal and in the Nepali diaspora just love them! When a momo party is organized, it brings out everyone – children, parents, grandparents! They are a fantastic street food in Nepal. And here, you can find Momo Trucks parked in different places in the Bay Area, even here in Santa Cruz!

Also, for me, momos are a lot like all of us. Inside we are a little messy and unresolved, constantly changing and evolving. But then we do our best to package ourselves in a neat, good-looking wrapper in order to face the world.

B. Ruby Rich: Beautiful. Well, congratulations, Deepika.

Thank you, Ruby!